Supreme Clientele - Lyrics and Controversy

Lyrics and Controversy

In late 1997, Ghostface Killah and producer RZA took a several month long trip to Africa, where a large sum of Supreme Clientele's lyrics would be written. While in Africa, the culture had an effect on Ghostface's lyrics. Un-like his acclaimed lyricism on his debut Ironman, and Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... album, Ghostface Killah rarely makes references to crime and materialism on Supreme Clientele. He explained "Fuck all this Tommy Hilfiger, Polo, all that shit. They don't give a fuck about none of that in Africa. Everything is the same. But over here, everybody wanna be better than the next one. Nah, it's not like that over there. They might be fucked-up money wise, but trust me, them muthafuckas is happy. They got each other". One of the earliest lyrics Ghostface wrote while in Africa was "Nutmeg", a song with a rhythmic, off-beat cadence. Regarding the song's form, he stated "That's a wild song. That shit's one of the illest styles I ever came up with, because I had no music to write to".

The album contained an insult toward then-up-and-coming rapper 50 Cent. In the "Clyde Smith" skit, Wu-tang member Raekwon, with the use of voice distortion, plays the role of a man named Clyde Smith. Clyde Smith addresses 50 Cent and his 1999 song "How to Rob," in which 50 Cent rhymed about how he will rob many popular music artists, including several Wu-Tang members. The skit drew a response from 50 Cent, who later replied in an underground mixtape. In fact, the lyrics for the diss track were then converted to "Too Hot".

In 2004, Lord Superb, formerly of Raekwon's American Cream Team and a collaborator of Ghostface's, made claims that he had "ghostwritten" the entire album of Supreme Clientele. Tony Yayo of G-Unit would later bring the topic back to the surface in 2006, however, in an interview with Rhapsody Music, Ghostface responded with "Yeah, I was in Europe when I heard Tony Yayo say that. That’s just nonsense. I still put mad shit out. 'Perb (Superb) is Rae’s (Raekwon) man. He been in the studio a few times while we’re doing shit. He ain’t write shit. All ‘Perb contributed was a couple of lines that you could put in the air. When we write, we all do that. “Say this one right here” or “Put this one right here.” We all catch lines with each other ‘cause you in the studio. You got niggas around you that write. Even if he did write a verse, he could never make an album of mine. He couldn’t make an album, you feel me? I made Supreme Clientele what it is. Those are my stories, based around what they’re based upon. It’s me. I can’t see what songs ‘Perb wrote. He ain’t write "Mighty Healthy" or "One" or "Apollo Kids" or "Cherchez LaGhost" or "Saturday Nite" or "Malcolm".